Reflector



REFLECTOR Filed May 21, 1936 Fig.2

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Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES asrmcron Charles A. Persons, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Persons-Majestic Manufacturing Company, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachu setts Application May 21, 1936, Serial No. 80,969

4 Claims.

This invention relates to reflectors of the general type designed to reflect rays of light back to a point at or adjacent to the point of origin of the rays, notwithstanding a considerable variation in the position of said source with reference to the reflector. They are much-used in street and highway signs, traflic and warning signals, such as the stop, slow, curve, caution, and railroad crossing signals, reflecting signals for trucks and vans, and for numerous other purposes. Often they are made in small units which are assembled in any order necessary to produce letters, figures, or other formations and designs suited to the requirements of individual situations.

The present invention aims to improve reflectors and reflecting units of this general character with a view especially to increasing the luminosity of the beam of light reflected from the more oblique angles of the field of reflection, and increasing the efliciency and general efiectiveness of devices of this character. A satisfactory solution for this problem has become increasingly important because of the greater congestion of street and highway traflic and the higher speeds at which the trafflc moves, these conditions making it .highly desirable that a reflecting sign or signal command the attention of the driver for a greater distance of travel than has been necessary heretofore.

The nature of the invention will be readily un derstood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a novel form of lens designed for use in my reflector and embodying features of this invention;

Fig. 2 isa plan view of the lens shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the lens and its reflector on a larger scale and illustrates the paths taken by typical incident and reflected rays of light;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the lens illustrated in Fig. 1 mounted in a shell or holder, this assembly also forming an important feature of this invention;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating a modification; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating another form which the invention may take.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to '4, inclusive, the lens body there shown preferably consists of an integral structure made of glass or other suitable lens material. It comprises two opposed, co-axial,

convex lens sections designated at 2 and 3, respectively, with an intermediate section 4 connecting the parts 2 and 3. In the preferred form the parts 2 and 3 each hasthe form of a section of a sphere, and their spherical surfaces are substantially concentric. In addition, they preferably have the same radius. The central or intermediate section 4 has little or no optical value, and in the form shown is composed of an outer, slightly tapered section 5 of relatively short axis, and an annular section 6' which is of greater radius than any of the other parts and projects beyond the margins of the convex sections 2 and 3. This annular portion 6 is provided with upper and lower shoulders I and 8, respectively.

Fig. 4 shows the entire reflector unit consisting of the lens body above described, a metal shell or housing to in which the body is mounted, and a concave reflector l2 also supported in said shell in cooperative relationship to the lens. This reflector is provided with an integral collar portion l3, the upper edge of which abuts against the shoulder 8 on the lens body and serves to space the reflecting surface properly from the lowerconvex lens section. All of these parts are held together in their assembled relationship by the crimping of the upper margin of the shell over the upper shoulder I, this crimping or spinning operation producing the flange l4. Prefer-. ably the bottom of the cup-shaped shell 10 is provided with a concave portion a in which the reflector I2 is seated, and the cylindrical spacing collar l3 fits snugly in the shell so that after the flange I4 has been crimped or spun over, all of the parts will be locked securely in their cooperative relationship to each other. Also, the bottom or closed end of thehousing I0 is provided with an annular projecting room portion b extending downwardly below or into a lower plane than the convex socket a. It is customary to-secure a series of these units in a suitable holder with the units bottoming on a plate or other support. With the construction just described, pressure, or a blow on the front of the lens 2., will be distributed over the entire socket a, and this socket has a certain amount of yield or resiliency because of its relationship to the part b. This mounting, therefore, affords a substantial degree of protection for the lens against the effect of pressure or shock.

The upper surface of the reflector l2 .is sil-' vered or coated with some material designed to give it the desired reflecting characteristics, and in order to protect it from the effects of moisture or dust which might work into the shell and would reflector either slightly in front of, or behind, the

focal distance. lhis position produces a limited but controllable degree of diffusion of the rays, as will be evident from the illustration in Fig. 3 of the paths taken by rays of light incident upon the lens at widely difierent angles. ihis spacing of the reflector from the lens is determined primarily by the length of the collar section it of the reflector. I

This reflector unit is highly eficient and de- -livers a reflected beam from the more oblique angles which is substantially as brilliant as that reflected in an axial direction. it is eflectively sealed against weather and dust, it is economical to manufacture, and is of such form that it can readily be mounted the wide variety of groupings in which such devices are used.

Instead or making the collar is of the length desired for some units, a spacing ring it, Fig. 5, may be interposed between the shoulder 8 and the reflector. in addition, this ring may be made oidifferent thicknesses of wire to produce the different spacings of the reflector from the lens required to meet diiferent conditions.

also, annular flange t which projects from the central portion of the lens need not necessarily be continuous, but may be made in the form. of lugs or sections, as shown at 6' in Fig. 6. Here it serves many of the same purposes as in the construction above described, the shell iii being crimped over the upper shoulders of the and preferably also being provided with a further extension it which is forced snugly against the surface of the conical area 5. A sealing gasket, collar, or composition til also may be interposed between the flange ii and the surface 5. For most purposes, however, I prefer the constructions illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive.

While I have herein shown and described preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that minor modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, What I desire to claim as new is: I

1. A reflector unit of the character described comprising a lens, a cup-shaped metal shell, the

aivassa I bottom ofsaid shell including a central socket, a concave reflector positioned and supported in said socket at approximately the focus of the lens, means spacing said lens from said reflector and supporting the lens on the edges of the reflector, said shell having an annular rim portion surrounding said socket and yieldingly supporting it, said rim portion projecting below said socket sufficiently to space the socket substantially from a support on which the rim portion rests.

2. A reflector unit of the character described comprising a lens body terminating in opposed, coaxial, convex surfaces, and having an intermediate part connecting said surfaces and including a portion in the form of an annulus projecting radially beyond the margins of said convex surfaces, a cup-shaped metal shell, the bottom of said shell including a central socket, a concave reflector positioned and supported in said socket at approximately the focus of the lens, said annulus resting and supported on the edge of the reflector and spacing said lens from said reflector, said shell having an annular rim portion surrounding said socket and yieldingly supporting it, said rim portion projecting below said socket sufficiently to space the socket substantially from a support on which the rim portion rests.

3. A reflector unit of the character described comprising a lens, a cup-shaped metal shell, the bottom or" said shell including a central Socket, a concave reflector positioned and supported in said socket at approximately the focus of the lens, said reflector provided with a collar portion on which the lens is supported and spaced from the' reflector, said shell having an annular rim portion surrounding said socket and yieldingly supporting it, said rim portion projecting below said socket sufficiently to. space the socket substantially from a support on which the rim portion rests.

4. A reflector unit of the character described comprising a lens, a cup-shaped metal shell, the bottom of said shell including a central socket, a concave reflector positioned and supported in said socket at approximately the focus of the lens, said reflector povided with a collar portion, a spacing ring mounted on' the edge of said collar portion and on which the lens is supported and spaced from the reflector, said shell having an annular rim portion surrounding said socket and yieldingly supporting it, said rim portion projecting below said socket suiflciently to space the socket substantially from a support on which the rim portion rests.

CHARLES A. PERSONS. 

